


The Right Kind of Nostalgia

by elliearmstrongg



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 04:22:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliearmstrongg/pseuds/elliearmstrongg
Summary: Daniel Howell is a first year teacher, who meets the eccentric Phil Lester on his first day of work. Both English teachers, they soon become close friends. What happens when the teachers begin to form a bond outside of work?





	The Right Kind of Nostalgia

It was six twenty in the morning. The school was a shiny sort of clean that is impossible to recreate until the grounds are completely devoid of students. Period One was an hour away, and Daniel Howell was about to teach his first class.   
Daniel opened the door to the staff office. It was entirely empty, which made Daniel simultaneously anxious and at ease. He set his laptop on the spot designated “D. Howell”. Adjusting his leather bag, he checked his phone. He had four texts. The first three were from his mother. 

Mom: Good luck today. Dan!  
Mom: ILove You  
Mom: I can’t work this phone.

Daniel smiled. His mother was still in the process of learning the logistics of iPhones, and wasn’t quite sure how the touch screen worked. He cleared the page. One more text was left. 

Poppy Maylor: Daniel, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. Really, I didn’t. I’m ready to take you back, Daniel. Last week was a mess, I know, but we can put that behind us, right? I love you, Daniel. I always will. Please let me know when you’ve read this. See you tonight, hopefully ;)

He quickly typed back a reply. 

Me: You said you hated me and everything I stood for, Poppy. You hurt me beyond repair. I still have feelings for you, but you clearly don’t for me, and I can’t go through this relationship knowing that you cannot love me for who I am. Goodbye, Poppy. 

He locked his phone and put it back in his pocket. Logging into the school’s database to make sure he fully understood it, he heard the door open and shut behind him.   
“Morning,” said a blonde woman. She was about thirty, and wore a bright pink sundress that perfectly matched her lipstick. “Don’t believe we’ve met. My name’s Louise Pentland. You’re new?”  
“Yeah,” Daniel said, getting up out of his chair. “Daniel Howell. Pleasure, Louise.”   
“What are you teaching?”  
“English 9 and English 9 Honors. What about you?”  
“I teach English 11 and English 12. It’s certainly an adventure.” She giggled, her laugh full of life. “Last year, someone turned in an essay without any punctuation or capital letters. Said that their 10 teacher would accept it. Such an interesting guy, Phil Lester.” She laughed more. “You still have to meet him. That’ll be something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”  
“Is he really that strange?” Daniel asked.   
“I mean, some people give him a hard time, but he’s been through a lot. I mean, he’s only 25 and already divorced. Feel so bad for the poor guy. His job’s just about the only thing he’s got right now, really.”   
The door opened once again. A tall, dark haired woman sat down at the desk labeled D. Clark. She opened her laptop to what seemed to be a music notation software.   
“That’s Dorothy Clark,” said Louise softly. “She largely keeps to herself, she conducts the choir. She’s really lovely when you get to know her.”   
Another door opening brought in a tall, dark haired man who wore a blue, buttoned shirt.   
“Oh, hello, Phil!” said Louise. “Phil, this is Daniel, the new English 9 and English 9 Honors teacher.”  
“Pleasure,” said Daniel. He looked Phil in the eye, noticing how incredibly blue they were. “Daniel Howell.”   
“Phil Lester,” Phil replied. He spoke with a slight northern accent. “English 10 and Honors.”  
“Nice, nice,” Daniel said. He could feel his phone vibrating repeatedly in his pocket. “Excuse me for a moment.”  
Daniel stepped out of the room. He answered the phone. “Daniel Howell.”  
“Dan? This is Poppy.”   
“Poppy, I-”  
“Listen to me, Daniel. I want you. I want your body.”  
“Poppy, I can’t do that.”  
“Do it for me.”  
“I have to go.”  
“Don’t go. Stay here with me. You know you want to.”  
“No. I really don’t. Goodbye.” He ended the call.   
“Sorry, I got a call from my friend,” Daniel muttered as he entered the staffroom again.   
“That’s fine. I’m actually going to head to my room,” Louise said. She walked to the door. “See you after school, Daniel, if I don’t see you earlier. Bye, Phil.” With that, Louise shut the door behind her, leaving Daniel alone with only Ms. Clark and Phil.   
“How, er, how long have you taught?”  
“This is my eighth year teaching, but my third here,” Phil said. “I actually went to school here, which is why I took the job here instead of keeping the one where I was. No matter what, you’re overworked and underpaid, so you might as well do it in a place that induces nostalgia.”  
“Where’d the northern accent come from, then?”  
“My parents grew up in Manchester, and I went to primary school there. My parents wanted to be closer to my brother’s college, so we moved here.”   
“Oh, that’s really cool! I wouldn’t go back to my old school to teach, there’s far too many memories of heads in toilets and homophobic slurs, you know?”  
“Oh, of course! Don’t forget the bad haircuts.” Phil laughed.  
“Yes! I think we all wanted to be the epitome of the MySpace kids.”   
The first bell rang.   
“We should probably head to our classes now,” Phil said. “The hoard is entering the building.”  
“Good plan.” Daniel took his leather messenger bag off of his chair and walked toward the door.   
“It was nice talking to you!” Daniel said, holding the door open for Phil.   
“Thanks! And you too! See you around!” Phil walked through the door and turned right, greeted by a faint chorus of “Hello, Mr. Lester!”, which Daniel assumed were his past students.   
And with that, Daniel turned left, and within twenty feet was his first class.


End file.
